Vendetta
by falafel-fiction
Summary: Missing scenes fic. A study of Charlie's struggles with the Others. Includes how Mikhail helped Ethan with his mission, how Juliet tried to save Charlie and Claire, how Scott was murdered and other untold mysteries.
1. Chapter 1

**Vendetta****  
****  
****Synopsis:** A study of Charlie's struggles with the Others. Includes how Mikhail helped Ethan with his mission, how Juliet tried to save Charlie and Claire, how Scott was murdered and other untold mysteries. Ends with the final Mikhail Vs Charlie face off.

**Characters:** Mikhail, Ethan, Juliet, Charlie and Claire. Mikhail & Juliet POVs.

**Authors Notes:** This Monday I was on a very looong boat journey and this brutal little fic started writing itself in my head. It borrows much from my first Lost fic LATE which sought to unravel the mystery of Charlie and Claire's kidnap experience. I think I have done it better here. I've also taken lines from the original script for 'Raised by Another'. The first two chapters of this story are set in S1 while the last chapter is set in S3 and will feature some of my trademark Chesmond.

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"_Mikhail…Mikhail, it's Ethan…pick up!"_

Mikhail was weeding his garden when the voice came through over his radio. Juliet Burke was with him. The tedious woman had come to his station pleading for more news on her sister. When he heard Ethan's voice Mikhail had been grateful for the distraction, though he didn't particularly wish to speak with him either.

"What is it that you want?" he asked, shortly.

"_I'm in a difficult situation, Mikhail…" _Ethan answered hurriedly. _"Hurley, that fat Californian, is taking a census. It's only a matter of time before they realise I wasn't on their plane. And I've just discovered that Claire is having contractions out in the middle of the jungle. There's no time to make the list. If we don't take Claire to the Staff now, she'll be of no use to our research…"_

Mikhail frowned. "Why are you bothering me with this? I'm not involved in fertility studies. Take her to the station yourself."

"_I can't just take her, Mikhail!" _hissed Ethan, his toneless voice bristling with a rare flash of anger. _"Charlie, that jumped up little Englishman, he's with her! He's always with her. They are sitting together on the path right now…" _

Mikhail smiled at Juliet and moved out of earshot.

"Could you not simply…take him out of the picture?" he asked.

"_Mikhail, I'm trying to prevent Claire from having an early labour. I don't think killing her friend in front of her will help to soothe her. I need your assistance. We have to keep this situation controlled. Bring sedatives, blindfolds, rope and meet me at the drop off point. Quickly! This may be our only chance..."_

Mikhail lowered the radio and turned back to Juliet. She had crept up behind him to listen. Judging by the look of fear and disgust on her face she had heard everything that Ethan had just said. Mikhail kept smiling.

"It appears we have a new patient for you, Doctor Burke…"

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Juliet watched from the bushes as the English boy and the pregnant girl came strolling through the jungle together. They were walking side by side, brushing shoulders and smiling contently, relaxed in each others company.

"I'll approach from the front and distract them," Ethan whispered to Mikhail. "Then you two can come from behind. Try not to let them see your faces. Cover their eyes as quickly as possible. Don't worry if they cry out. Nobody will hear them. They are too far from their camps. Once they're drugged we'll proceed directly to the Staff. I can't risk staying here any longer..."

Mikhail nodded, grasping their mission. Juliet could feel her cheeks burning and her breath coming in short tense bursts.

"Is there a problem, Juliet?" Mikhail asked coyly.

Her face tightened. "Why should I have a problem, Mikhail? We are just planning to assault and kidnap two innocent people after all."

Mikhail smirked, amused by her disapproval. "I'm glad to hear that you don't have a problem. We are relying on you to ensure everything goes smoothly. I would hate for you lose another pregnant woman…"

Juliet swallowed her rage and followed Mikhail round to the bushes that lay behind their prey. The young couple had halted on the path. The girl was pressing the boy's hand to her swollen belly. Both of them were smiling. Their smiles faded when Ethan appeared on the path before them.

"Hello there," he said, pleasantly.

"Ethan…where's Jack?" Charlie asked in confusion.

"Jack? Oh, I didn't go and get him."

"What do you mean you didn't go?!" Charlie persisted, sounding nervous.

Claire suddenly began to whimper. Ethan turned to her and took a step closer. Charlie wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"I know you're scared," Ethan soothed. "It's okay."

"What are you talking about, you git!" Charlie barked, starting to twitch with panic. "One more step and I'll…"

Juliet leaned forwards, disturbing the bushes. Charlie and Claire flinched and turned at the sound. Mikhail swiftly pulled her back. The young couple looked back to find Ethan standing right in front of them.

"I'm sorry it's come to this," he said, flatly.

There was a pause. Then Charlie broke from Claire's side and launched himself at Ethan. Claire stood screaming, frozen in shock and fear. The fight didn't last long as Ethan caught the smaller man by his arms and pinned him to the ground. Mikhail then shoved Juliet between her shoulders and they burst from the bushes. The tall Russian seized the pregnant girl from behind and placed a rough hand over her eyes. Claire's screams grew louder. Charlie yelled furiously for them to let her go.

"Sedate her!" Mikhail hissed. "Quickly…"

Juliet reluctantly took out the needle and injected Claire.

"_Shhhh_…nice and easy," she said, gently as she could. "They are not going to hurt you. I promise. I'm so sorry, Claire…"

Claire continued to squeal, tremble and weep until the drug took effect and she went limp in Mikhail's arms. Juliet placed her hands on the either side of Claire's face, checking her pulse and her breathing.

"The boy too…" Mikhail ordered.

Juliet turned to look at Charlie. He was struggling as Ethan held him to the ground, pressing a knee to his lower back. He was trying to raise his head to see Claire, but Ethan kept him facedown with a forceful grip on his hair.

"Why don't you just leave him?" Juliet suggested. "Claire is all you wanted. We don't need to take him too. Why not leave him here?"

Mikhail considered this vaguely. Then he shrugged.

"If we leave him, we will have to kill him."

Juliet heard Charlie's breathing hitch in a terrified gasp. She moved quickly before Ethan could even think about snapping his neck. She knelt at his side and plunged the needle into his arm. When this was done, they dragged the two of them off the jungle path. Secluded in the bushes, they blindfolded their captives and tied their hands as a precaution. Mikhail then lifted Claire in his arms while Ethan slung Charlie over his back. They headed for the Staff.

As they walked through the jungle, Juliet kept glancing over her shoulder. She was sure she had heard somebody yelling not too far behind them. A man yelling the names 'Claire' and 'Charlie'. She believed they were being followed.

They came to a jungle clearing. Mikhail and Ethan laid their prisoners down and moved off to speak in private. Juliet sat by Charlie and Claire, pretending to examine them. She noticed the tapes on Charlie's fingers. If this person following was going to have a change of rescuing these two they would need a trail. And Juliet wanted them to be rescued. Claire might be safe as long as she was useful to their research, but Charlie would almost certainly be killed if she didn't do something.

Juliet tore off one of the bandages. Charlie stirred.

"Wha…what are yer doin?" he mumbled, barely lucid.

Juliet pressed the tape into the earth and then squeezed his wrists.

"Keep quiet if you want to be saved..." she whispered to him.

Charlie's brow creased with confusion. Claire lay motionless and insensible by his side. Soon after Mikhail and Ethan returned and continued to carry them off through the jungle. It wasn't long before they came to another clearing beneath the shade of a banyan tree. It was here that they were met by Tom, Colleen and Alex who Ethan had also radioed asking for assistance.

Charlie and Claire were laid on the ground once more. An argument sparked between Ethan and Tom over the incomplete list and the rash decision to abduct Claire in this manner. While they were fighting Juliet reached for Charlie's hands again. She found that Charlie had already scraped a second piece of tape from his finger. He palmed it to her with a quiet nod. Cole then snapped at Ethan to "_Save it!"_ and suggested they kept moving. They were just about to leave the clearing when Mikhail halted them. He had noticed the tiny piece of gauze that was lying in the dirt.

"Get him up!" Mikhail barked, pointing at Charlie.

Ethan hauled Charlie to feet. Mikhail cut the ropes from his wrists and inspected his hands. Two of the lettered bandages were missing from his fingers. Mikhail pressed the tape against Charlie's blindfolded face.

"Have you been leaving these?" he asked furiously.

Juliet held her breath, expecting Charlie to give her up. The Englishman mumbled incoherently, his legs wobbling and his head lolling on his neck. Mikhail grasped him by his hair, yanking him upright.

"Sorry?" he sneered, condescendingly. "What did you say?"

Charlie curled his lips back from his teeth.

"…said I'm used to stronger drugs than that, yer wankers…"

Mikhail's fist slammed into the side of Charlie's head. Ethan allowed him to fall in a heap on the ground. If he had been semi-conscious before Charlie was most definitely out cold now. Mikhail scowled over him.

"He's been leaving a trail for his people to follow," he swiftly deduced. "I had the feeling there was a group tracking us. But no matter. We will beat them at their own little game. Ethan and I will take him off in this direction. We will continue to leave the trail of tape and draw them away from the girl. The rest of you take her onto the Staff covering your tracks as best you can."

Juliet watched as Tom carried Claire off on one path while Mikhail and Ethan took Charlie on another. She told herself it was her duty to stay with Claire and make sure that she and her baby were safe. Then another part of her insisted that she wasn't just going to let them kill the Englishman. It was the same part of her that woke up sweating after dreams of her ex-husband being hit by a bus.

"I'm coming with you!" she called after Ethan.

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When they reached the summit of the hill, Mikhail threw Charlie down from his shoulders, dropping him into a muddy puddle.

"Enough!" he complained. "We kill him! I'm sick of carrying him."

Juliet wiped the rain-soaked hair away from her face.

"Mikhail, you're not just going to kill this guy!" she protested. "You've no reason to kill him. He's done nothing to you!"

"He's not a good person, Juliet…" said Ethan as though trying to persuade her. "He's a drug addict, a liar and a thief…"

"And what kind of person are _you_, Ethan?!" Juliet spat back. "You think I don't know what you have done?! You people…you just take the ones you need and kill the ones who get in your way! Like you killed Edmund!"

Juliet was screaming at them now. Her raised voice was echoing around the treetops. Mikhail stepped forwards and struck her hard, knocking her unconscious as he had done to Charlie. Juliet crumpled to the ground.

"Our followers will have heard that," he pointed out to Ethan. "Go down to them and deliver a warning. Inform them that we will kill one of the prisoners if they insist on pursuing us. Make sure they know it is a serious threat."

Ethan hurried down the slope. While he was gone, Mikhail glanced around the hilltop. He noticed some vines hanging down from a half circle of trees. He dragged a stump of wood beneath these vines and stood on it while he twisted and knotted them into a noose.

He glanced back at the English boy lying unconscious and blindfolded in the puddle. Mikhail had been mildly impressed that the little man had put up a fight, spoken back to them and attempted to leave a trail for his friends to follow. He had to respect him for trying. But Charlie was only a pawn in this game. It was time for him to die.

Mikhail stepped down from the log just as Ethan returned.

"They won't turn back," he panted. "It's that heroic doctor of theirs. I gave him the message, but he kept on fighting me."

"So we carry out our threat," Mikhail said simply.

He nodded towards the gallows he had erected. Ethan shook his head.

"Never mind that! Let's snap his neck and be done with it."

"If the doctor finds him with a broken neck, he will have no reason to stop. He will chase after us in a vengeful temper. But if he believes he can revive him, then he will halt and attempt to save him."

Ethan frowned. "But what happens if he…"

"Enough! He is already coming. We do it my way."

Mikhail and Ethan lifted Charlie from the ground and carried him over to the noose. Together they held him upright on the stump of wood while coiling the vines around his throat. When this was done, they let him go and knocked the log over.

For a moment the two men watched in sick fascination as Charlie began to choke, splutter and kick his legs. He made a feeble attempt to raise his arms and hold off his strangulation, but his limbs were numb and heavy with the sedative. All he could do was wheeze and writhe as his cheeks turned purple and the life was squeezed from his body. Ethan began to laugh. Mikhail caught his eye and started laughing along with him. These were two men who didn't laugh very often. They had no friends or family to share their laughter with. But Mikhail and Ethan had this one common bond. They were both ruthless and efficient killers. It was hard not to take pleasure in something they did so well. It felt good to have somebody savour it with. Someone who took the same perverse satisfaction in a merciless execution.

Their laughter was halted by the sound of approaching feet and voices.

"They are coming," Ethan said, blandly.

Mikhail nodded. They lifted Juliet between them and slipped away into the jungle, leaving Charlie hanging limply in the trees. The two men would never know that in a few moments time, two friends would experience a similar rush of happiness by saving Charlie's life as they had felt upon murdering him. If Mikhail _had_ known this he probably would have laughed again. This simply meant he could kill Charlie twice...

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Characters:** Mikhail, Ethan, Jack, Locke, Charlie, Sayid and Jin.

**Authors Notes: **Okay so this chapter is a little MEH. I'm still filling in a few missing scenes from S1. Please stick with this story. The last chapter is set in S3 and will feature some Chesmond along with Charlie's confrontations with Bonnie, Greta and of course, big bad Mikhail.

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"Claire…that's all they wanted…all they wanted was Claire."

Jack didn't say a word. He stared at Charlie expectantly hoping that he would keep talking. But Charlie just stared down at the fire, his eyes hollow and lifeless as he watched the flickering of its embers.

The doctor shuffled uncomfortably. Locke had suggested to him that Ethan might not have been working alone. It seemed like he was right. Judging by Charlie's words there had been a larger group of kidnappers.

"How many were there?" Jack pressed. He knew it must be disturbing for Charlie to talk about this experience, but he needed to know what they were up against. "Can you tell me what they looked like?"

Charlie shook his head, helplessly. "I didn't see anything."

Jack remembered that Charlie had been blindfolded when they found him. He supposed it was unlikely that he had gotten a decent look at his captors. But Jack still had the feeling there was something Charlie wasn't telling him.

"Well, did you…did you hear them saying anything else?" he asked, patiently. "How do you know they only wanted Claire?"

Charlie shrugged. "It was just something I…" His voice trailed away. He closed his eyes as if searching his memory. "We were on the path. I was walking her back to the caves. Ethan came and I…I tried to stop him, but…"

Charlie's pale cheeks flushed with shame and frustration.

"I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to her…" he said, brokenly.

Jack clasped his shoulder and looked Charlie firmly in the eyes.

"Charlie, listen to me. This is not your fault, okay? I'm the one who is responsible here. If I had just believed Claire, like you did, then this never would have happened." Jack sighed heavily, his own sense of guilt still knawing at him. "Can you tell me what happened after Ethan came?"

"It wasn't just Ethan," said Charlie with growing agitation in his voice. "There were others. There were too many of them, Jack…I couldn't stop them…I knew they were gonna kill me. I just knew it. Claire was all they wanted. I don't remember anything else…why don't I remember Jack?"

Charlie's face was pinched with confusion. He was just repeating the same small fragments of information now. Jack was willing to concede that this was all he remembered. He sighed again.

"Charlie, you suffered a severe loss of oxygen to your brain. It has probably done some damage to your memory. Don't worry about it too much. Just take it easy and give yourself time to recover. It could have been worse. Much worse. All things considered you've been lucky."

Jack swallowed, instantly regretting his ill-chosen words. Charlie was plane crash victim currently in the throws of heroin withdrawal who had just been kidnapped and hung from a tree. Now his doctor was calling him 'lucky'. His father was right. He had never got the hang of the bedside manner.

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Ethan crouched in the bushes, simmering with frustration.

Locke had found Claire before he had and taken her back to the caves. He had no idea how he was supposed to recapture her now. Yet that was what they were all counting on him to do. They all blamed him for her escape. They even suspected him of letting her go. They had found out about the walk that Ethan had taken with Claire. They all thought he was infatuated with her. It wasn't enough that Ethan had planned to cut Claire's baby from her womb prematurely to show his dedication to their research. Now he had been sent back to their camp and told not to return to them unless he brought the pregnant girl back with him.

His ears pricked up at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Oi! Jin. You heading back to the caves? Safety in numbers, right! Of course, you have no idea what I'm talking about…"

Ethan couldn't believe it. He had _seen_ that little junkie strangled on the end of a noose. Now he was traipsing through the jungle and blathering away to the Korean. He told Mikhail they should have finished the him off. Ethan had a mind to do so right now. Then he had another thought…maybe he could use Charlie to get Claire back? She trusted him. If Charlie asked her to go somewhere with him Claire would very likely follow. All that Ethan needed to do was persuade Charlie to bring her. And Ethan could be very persuasive.

He stepped from the bushes and began stalking Charlie and Jin along the jungle path. He needed to get the Korean out of the way first. Charlie might be a measly little runt, but the other one was a powerful fighter. He had seen what he had done to Michael that day on the beach. Ethan reached into his pocket and took out a stone. Tom had ordered him off so quickly he hadn't even been given a chance to load up on weapons. He had been reduced to stealing Alex's slingshot.

The rock did the trick. He hit the Korean on the back of his skull and he went down. Charlie stood like frightened rabbit staring into the barrel of a shotgun. Ethan advanced on him and demanded that he delivered Claire to this spot. Charlie stupidly tried charging at Ethan waving a stick in his hands. Ethan simply grabbed him by his throat, lifted him off his feet and thrust him against a tree trunk.

"You bring her here," he ordered firmly. "If you don't I'm going to kill one of them. And then if you don't bring her here by sundown tomorrow. I'll kill another and another and another. One every day…"

Charlie's shoes were scrabbling against the bark of the tree. Ethan throttled him long enough to remind him of the sensation of dangling up in that tree. Ethan wanted this memory to be very present in Charlie's mind when he was considering these instructions and threats. Ethan felt like he was gaining control of the situation now. He didn't think Charlie wouldn't pull any tricks. He would remember happened to him the last time and he would do as he was told. Ethan was sure of this. Charlie wasn't a hero like the doctor. He was a spineless little worm.

"And Charlie…I'll kill you last…"

With that, he let the pop-eyed Englishman fall and left him wheezing on the ground. As he walked away Ethan started forming a brutal vision in his mind. If Charlie failed to bring Claire to him, then he would make it is mission to kill every one of his friends with his bare hands. Then when Charlie was left all alone and scared out of his tiny little mind, Ethan would come for Claire and Charlie would be powerless to stop him taking her. He would leave Charlie strung up in a tree again. And this time there would be nobody to cut him down...

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Locke pulled the knife from his belt. He could sense some disturbance in the jungle up ahead. Jack and Sayid halted by his side.

"Someone was here," Locke told them, discreetly.

"Here?!" Jack repeated, nervously. "What are you talking about?"

Locke crouched low and scanned the ground. He soon found a set of footprints. Fresh tracks in the soil. He started following their trail with Jack and Sayid hurrying behind him. He followed this trail all the way towards…

…Charlie. He was sitting at the base of a tree, his knees drawn into his chest, his hands cupped protectively over his throat. His eyes were wide and fixed. Jin was lying sprawled on the ground close beside him. The Korean man was moaning low. Blood was trickling from his scalp over his neck.

Jack hurried over to Jin, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and putting pressure on his head wound. Locke and Sayid went over to Charlie, crouching before him and asking what had happened. Charlie didn't respond to them at first. It seemed that he had slipped back into a state of shock. Locke slowly teased his hands away from his neck. The bruises that had been fading over the past week had darkened once more. There were little red dimples beneath his ear which looked as though they had been made by fingernails. Somebody had been choking him.

"Ethan?" Sayid asked, tentatively.

Charlie nodded, confirming their fears. Jack's head whipped around.

"Ethan was here?!" he spluttered, unnerved. "Where did he go, Charlie? What did he do to you? What did he say?"

Charlie raised his head. A scowl was forming on his brow. "He said that if I don't bring Claire to him he is going to kill us all."

Locke raised his eyebrows. He knew that Charlie tended to blow things out of proportion, but this sounded serious. Jack stood rooted to the spot. Nobody spoke for a moment. Then Jin propped himself on his elbows, rubbing his head and complaining loudly in Korean. Jack helped him to his feet.

"Sayid, I want you to take Jin back to the caves. Ask Sun to look at his head. Make sure that everyone who is at the caves stays there. Keep everyone together. Keep a close watch on Claire. We'll be along soon."

Sayid nodded. He put a supportive arm around Jin's back, picked up his fishing nets and led him on the path to the caves. Jack and Locke pulled Charlie up and gestured that they should return to the beach.

"Tell us everything, man…" Jack insisted.

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"_Mikhail, it's Ethan…I need your help again…_"

Mikhail was sitting in his living room, absently stroking the cat in his lap. He had a book open in his hand, but he was having trouble concentrating. He was rather pleased to be contacted by Ethan. He had heard about Claire's escape and was curious to learn how the mission to reclaim her was faring.

"What is it this time?" he asked. "Why do you need my help?"

"_Because Charlie's an idiot! That's why._"

Mikhail frowned. "Isn't he the one we hung from a tree?"

"_Well, it looks like their doctor got him breathing again. I warned you this could happen, Mikhail! Anyway...I found Charlie in the jungle this morning and told him that I would kill one of their people if he didn't bring Claire to me by sunset. He hasn't brought her. From the looks of things he's shot his mouth off to everyone in their camp. Now there is a long row of sentries and traps set along the beach. I'll kill him!" _

"Excellent plan," Mikhail said, brightly. He was thankful that Ethan had thought to include him. He hadn't felt like staying indoors this evening. "I rather like the idea of killing Charlie again."

"_Sadly he is not an option. The doctor has Charlie and Claire wrapped up in cotton wool back at the caves. They are too many of their group gathered there. We'll have to pick off one of their guards instead." _

"How do you propose we do that?" Mikhail asked, intrigued.

"_Meet me at the cove. Bring your diving gear." _

The two men came together on the rocky shoreline, suited up and swam around to the plane crash survivor's camp under cover of darkness. They crawled out from the waves on their bellies, their sharp eyes scanning the tree-line. The sentries were all facing away from the sea. They were expecting an attack to come from the jungle. Apart from one gormless boy who had fallen asleep against his spear they all had their backs turned. Ethan moved quick as a shadow over the beach. He snatched one of the guards from behind, putting a hand over his mouth and dragging him back to the tide where Mikhail was waiting. Before the Russian could suggest another method of murder Ethan snapped the man's neck. Then they each took one of his arms and broke all the bones from his shoulders down to his fingers. They wanted to make sure these people knew they were serious. When this was done they swam back to the cove.

"We shall have to do this again some time, my friend," said Mikhail, having thoroughly enjoyed his evening.

"How about tomorrow?" Ethan suggested.

The following night the Russian chose to accompany Ethan to the spot where he had instructed Charlie to bring the pregnant girl. They waited in silence, crouching behind the trees. Suddenly they caught sight of Claire. She was wandering alone through the jungle in the pouring rain. Mikhail turned to inform Ethan that she was probably being used as bait. But the moment Ethan saw the girl he sprang from the trees and began charging towards her, snarling with desperation.

Mikhail sighed and sank down low in his hiding place. Sure enough a few seconds later there was the sound of a fist fight, guns being cocked and ambushers stepping out from the trees. Mikhail had no intention of helping Ethan. The man had been a fool to run headlong into such an obvious trap.

"Winner by a knockout!" said one of the gunmen. "Nice one, Doc! Now maybe we can find out who or _what_ this sonofabitch is!"

Mikhail smiled. It seemed that these people were going to attempt to hold Ethan prisoner and interrogate him. This was very good indeed. Mikhail was certain that Ethan wouldn't talk. He would protect their secrets to the grave. In the meantime he would confuse them with lies and mind games. Then when he saw an opportunity Ethan would take the advantage and kill his captors. There was still a chance they could recapture the pregnant girl.

Suddenly there was the sound of shooting and a body splashing down in the puddles. Mikhail frowned, wondering which one of them had fired. Possibly the Iraqi he considered. He would have the sense to do it. He leaned forward to see the ambushers all staring at a small blonde man, who held a gun tightly in both hands. His shoulders were rising and falling, his eyes blazing as he stared down at the fallen body of Ethan Rom...the man that he had shot dead...

Mikhail raised his eyebrows. It seemed Charlie wasn't as stupid as they thought. Much to his surprise it appeared that Charlie had won this battle over the pregnant girl. There would be no reclaiming her now. Mikhail felt his respect rising for the little junkie.

Of course, he would still kill Charlie the first opportunity he got. Mikhail decided he would have to make his end especially cruel. Ethan was one of their best. They had lost a faithful soldier, not to mention one of their few remaining surgeons. And Ethan was the closest thing that Mikhail had to a friend. He wasn't particularly saddened by his loss (he had little need for friendship) but he considered that Charlie's killing would be all the more sweet now it was laced with revenge.

"Until next time," Mikhail whispered as he slipped away.

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Vendetta**

**Characters:** Charlie, Desmond, Bonnie, Greta and Mikhail.

**Authors Notes: **Phew! Finished this one in a rush. I just had to get it out of my system. So this last chapter is made of the awesomeness of Charlie Pace. A tribute to his angst, snark and courage which just reflects the love and admiration that I felt for him in the end.

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"Sorry?" said Mikhail, putting a finger to his ear. "What?"

Something snapped inside Charlie. He felt like he remembered this gloating voice. It felt like he had heard it before. He couldn't be sure, but he _felt_ it. He thought this man might be one of the people that had taken him and Claire. One of the kidnappers who had held him down and drugged him while Claire had wept and screamed. One of the laughing men who had strung him up and left him for dead.

Charlie lunged at the Russian, fully intending to scratch out his one remaining eye. Suddenly Desmond's arms were around him, restraining him and thrusting him back. Mikhail watched their scuffle with quiet amusement.

"It's a mistake!" Charlie protested. "We can't keep letting these people go!"

"We gave him our word!" Desmond barked, his eyes wide and stern.

_What's all this WE business?_ thought Charlie. _Brother, you gave me your word that I wasn't going to die at any point on your little camping trip. Turns out you were gonna let me take an arrow in the throat. Now you won't even do away with this shifty bastard?! Suddenly you're all honourable and giving me lectures... _

Charlie swallowed and bowed his head. A familiar feeling of worthlessness was creeping into his bones. Even the enemy was treated with more respect than he was. For a moment he thought he would have to witness his life saver shaking hands with his possible hangman. But Desmond just ordered him to leave. Before he went the Russian smiled at Charlie. A dark little smile that seemed to say _I killed you once before, I can kill you again and there's nothing you can do about it. _

Desmond didn't take much notice of the smile. He turned his attention to Jin, clapping him on the shoulder and commending him for retrieving the satellite phone. He gestured that Jin should return to Hurley and the parachutist. Desmond then turned to Charlie, his expression quickly changing to the stern countenance of a scolding parent.

"Charlie, what the hell were you thinking taking on a guy like that?!" Desmond asked in perplexed irritation. "I hate to tell you this, brother, but you're no Hercules. A man like that could break you in two. If you don't mind, I've got other things to worry about right now besides saving you..."

Charlie swallowed. He hadn't felt so powerless and humiliated since the night that Locke hit him. What could he possibly say to Desmond? Whatever they argued about Desmond could always pull the old _I'm the guy who's saving your life, so you can just lick my boots, squire _line.Charlie knew that he was in his debt, but it hurt that Desmond insisted on rubbing it in.

"You don't know what they're like…" Charlie muttered, struggling to keep his voice steady. "They hung me from a tree…they blew up the raft that Jin was on and left him to drown…that one-eyed freak is gonna round up his mates and they'll come back to kill us! Just you wait…"

Charlie didn't think he could feel much worse. But now his voice was cracking and tears were burning his eyes. He tried to look away. He didn't want Desmond to see him crying. But already Desmond's hand was on his shoulder and his expression was softening. Charlie bit his lip, trying desperately to hold himself together. He didn't want Desmond's sympathy. With his time on this earth running rapidly short all he wanted from Desmond was his respect.

"_Hey_…just take it easy, mate…" Desmond said, gently, his brow creasing with concern. "Don't let it get to you…"

Charlie sniffed, forcing a smile. "Oh, I don't let any of it get to me, Des. I just take it all on the chin, you know…"

Charlie wished his voice would stop wavering. He wished that Desmond would stop looking at him like he was some pitiful child in need of protection. He would like to punch him in the face for ever barging into his life with his horrible bloody flashes. But he knew this situation wasn't Desmond's fault. Indeed Charlie was grateful for every new day that Desmond had afforded him. But he wasn't going to beg for more borrowed time. If saving his life was becoming too tiresome for Desmond, he didn't have to trouble himself. Charlie never asked Desmond to save him in the first place. He just didn't like being betrayed with these lies and scathing remarks that Desmond had been throwing at him all through their trek.

He knew this couldn't be easy for Desmond either…having all those morbid visions. But at least when this was over Desmond could put it behind him and carry on with his life. Charlie's life would be over. He would be gone. It didn't matter that he didn't want to die. Nobody in their right mind _wants_ to die. But if there was no stopping it then the last thing he wanted was some dignity.

"You're tired," Desmond told him, finding a convenient excuse for Charlie's minor breakdown. "You should take some rest. We won't be setting off for camp until its light. Have yourself a few hours kip, yeah?"

Desmond smiled at him, kindly, and steered him back to the clearing. Charlie wanted to tell Desmond that it was a hard getting to sleep when the universe was trying to kill him and he feared that he would never wake up. But he didn't want to start crying again. It would just make Hurley worry.

As they walked back to the clearing Charlie decided. Next time it happened…next time Desmond came to him with one of his flashes…Charlie would just accept it. Whatever it was he would tell Desmond not to intervene. He would face up to it like a man and deal with it himself. When they got back to camp he would spend time with Claire and Hurley. He would play with Aaron. He would think and he would write. He would prepare himself for the worst. Maybe he could beat fate. Maybe he couldn't. But he wasn't going to be Desmond's burden anymore...

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Greta pulled the chair forwards and dropped a length of rope on the floor. Bonnie had ordered their prisoner to lace his hands behind his head and rise to his feet. Now she was marching him round the side of the moon pool with her gun pressed into his back. Greta frowned when he came into the light. They had been prepared for intruders, but this wasn't what they were expecting.

The guy was short, slim and boyish looking with blonde hair and a hapless grin. He was also barefoot, wearing only jeans and a t-shirt. There were bangles looping his wrists. He didn't look like a soldier or an assassin. He didn't seem dangerous at all. Bonnie had announced that she had found no concealed weapons on him. Greta shook her head. Was this some kind of trick? It didn't make any sense that this guy was down here. It seemed like a ridiculous mistake.

Bonnie ordered him to sit in the chair and lay his hands flat on the arm rests. The guy shrugged and did as she asked. Bonnie grabbed the rope and started binding him fast. Her prisoner simply sat still and goggled around the chamber, his eyes bright and bewildered. Greta noticed that his teeth were chattering. He was dripping wet and shivering with cold.

"Maybe we should get him a towel?" she suggested.

"Are you kidding me?!" Bonnie hissed, her face twitching with disbelief. "Just keep your gun pointed at his head!"

Greta hadn't realised that she had lowered her weapon. She sighed and raised it again. It didn't really seem necessary. The guy had surrendered to them immediately. He was unarmed and seemed relatively harmless. Greta almost felt sorry for him. He didn't seem to belong in his situation.

"Don't move!" Bonnie growled at him, yanking the ropes tightly around his chest. "One false move and we kill you!"

"No worries, love," the guy said, breezily. "I'd be obliged. I'm knackered after that swim. I could do with a good sit down."

Greta frowned. He sounded as pedestrian as he looked. He had an English accent and his speech was colloquial. He just seemed like an ordinary guy. But surely an ordinary person would be terrified over being tied up and held at gunpoint. This guy was bizarrely calm. He actually seemed pleased with himself.

"Why are you smiling?" Greta asked him, curiously.

"Oh, it's just a private joke…" he answered, vaguely. "It would take me a long time to explain." He giggled manically, shaking his head and slapping the arms of the chair. "So…what are two pretty girls like you doing in a dirty great underwater station like this?"

Bonnie grasped a fistful of his hair and pulled his head back.

"If you don't shut up we're gonna blow your brains out!" she snarled.

The guy screwed his face up, considering her threat.

"No, you're not," he said with a confident smirk.

Bonnie's eyes widened with indignation. She leaned closer.

"Read my lips, you little bastard. _We'll shoot you!_"

He raised his eyebrows. "Wanna bet?"

Bonnie blinked several times. Then she punched him hard across the mouth, splitting his lip and sending a spurt of blood over his chin. It must have made Bonnie feel good to hit him, because she immediately swung again with her other fist. The guy didn't look tough, but took the blows without whimpering.

Greta sighed and shook her head. They had been alone in this station for months now. They were under orders to block all transmissions and guard the equipment until Ben radioed them with further instructions. It was tedious work. Nothing for them to do but patrol a big empty space. Secretly they had both been waiting for something to happen. Waiting for somebody to come. In Bonnie's case she had been waiting for somebody to punch and take her frustrations out on. Greta thought she would simply appreciate somebody to talk to who wasn't Bonnie. Peculiar as their visitor was at least he had a sense of humour, something her friend was sorely lacking.

Bonnie wiped the blood from her knuckles on her trouser leg.

"I'm gonna get more rope..." she announced.

She glared at their prisoner and marched over to the storage lockers. The guy blew air from the corners of his lips. He smiled at Greta as though trying to make friends with her. Then he inclined his head in Bonnie's direction.

"Time of the month?" he asked.

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Desmond shuddered when he learned the equipment had been programmed by a musician. It felt as though he really had brought Charlie to his destiny. Nobody else could have inputted this code. The two of them fell silent for a moment, sensing the hand of fate hanging over them. Then Bonnie's head dropped onto her chest and her body slumped sideways. Charlie caught her in his arms, cradling her to his chest.

"Okay Bonnie, I got you…" he whispered. "I got you…"

Desmond watched as Charlie gently lowered Bonnie onto the floor. A few moments earlier this woman had been beating him and threatening to harpoon him with a spear gun. Now Charlie was tenderly smoothing the hair away from her brow and wiping the blood from her cracked lips. He folded her arms into a cross shape over her chest. Then he bowed his head.

"What are you doing, brother?" Desmond asked, following a silence.

Charlie blinked and startled like one woken from a sleep.

"I was just…you know…paying my respects," he murmured, faintly.

Desmond shook his head. "From what I heard in the closet she wasn't showing you much respect, brother. Why do you even want to bother?"

Charlie shrugged, frowning a little. "Because she's dead…" he answered simply. "Because she was murdered."

Desmond fell silent and swallowed. He sensed that Charlie was speaking as one who knew what it was to be murdered.

"We have to pull Greta out of the water," Charlie added.

Desmond nodded. They moved around to the other side of the pool and lifted her bloodied corpse from the ocean. Once again Charlie folded her arms over her chest and carefully smoothed back her hair. Desmond remembered that this one hadn't been hitting Charlie. She had been asking her friend to stop. Charlie remained kneeling by her side, staring over her wet body and its still face in rapt contemplation. It was as though he felt a strange solidarity with these dead girls.

"Maybe we should cover them up," Desmond suggested.

Charlie nodded. "See if you can find some blankets."

"Right." Desmond glanced across the chamber, his eyes settling on the man with the spear jutting from his chest. "What about him?"

Charlie lifted his head and looked over the pool. For a moment his face tensed up with anger, hatred and a lingering fear. Then he let it all go.

"You killed him," he replied with a shrug. "You deal with it."

Desmond blinked. It seemed to be Charlie's policy that since Desmond had shot this man it was his responsibility to decide what happened to his body.

"Maybe I should take his other eye?" Desmond suggested, wryly.

Desmond knew he would do no such thing. He hadn't drifted _that_ far from the monastery. But he wanted to let Charlie know that he was on his side. This was his first taste of the Others. It turned out they were as cruel and tretcherous as Charlie had warned him. Yet strangely Charlie did not respond to his jibe. It seemed like the malice and bitterness he had felt towards these people had left him now. He just sat quietly staring over the watery corpse of the dark-haired girl.

"Desmond…" he murmured, his voice eerily calm. "After I've drowned…just leave me here, okay? Don't try to take me back to the beach or anything. I don't want Claire or Hurley to see me this way…"

Desmond felt his heart tighten. He didn't know how to answer. He wasn't going to refuse Charlie any last wishes, but to accept would be giving into the inevitability of his death. Desmond was still struggling with that.

"Charlie, have you considered that…maybe you're not going to drown? I mean…we were expecting this station to be flooded and…and it wasn't! Now the hostiles are dead and…and there is nothing stopping you from typing in the code and then swimming back to the boat…yeah? I can't see that there is any danger, brother. Maybe we've beaten it. Maybe we've changed it!"

Desmond fell silent as he realised that Charlie wasn't listening to him. It seemed like his friend was already drifting away to another place and it was too late for Desmond to pull him back. There was something ephemeral about him. Desmond had the feeling he no longer held any sway over this man's destiny. He suspected he would only be a bystander in whatever was to come.

This was between Charlie and fate.

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Mikhail could hardly suppress a smile as he lay on his back listening to Charlie and Desmond's conversation. Apparently the Scotsman had experienced some prophetic vision of Charlie drowning in this very station. It amused Mikhail to think that fate too had a vendetta against Charlie's life. He decided that if it was the last thing he did he wanted to act as an agent of fate and make sure that Charlie met his appointment with death. He felt like he had found his match in Charlie Pace. It appeared that he was the one man on the island proving more _unkillable_ than Mikhail was himself.

He waited until Charlie had entered the comms room and Desmond had wandered over to lockers. Then he pulled on his goggles and lowered himself into the pool, taking care not to splash. His chest wound had missed his major organs, but it still sang out with pain when he made contact with the saltwater. Mikhail embraced the pain, letting it feed his adrenaline and his lust for murder. He kicked his legs in a steady rhythm and swam around to the porthole window.

At first he was mortified to discover that Charlie had already disabled the jamming device and was talking with some woman over the communications system. Mikhail had to concede that he had failed in his task to keep the transmissions blocked. He hated to leave jobs half-finished, but the least he could do now was assassinate the two men responsible for this breech of the island's security.

He took the grenade from his belt and tapped it against the window, alerting Charlie to the mortal peril that he was in. He smiled as he watched Charlie springing up from his chair and running towards the door to escape into the main chamber. His smile lengthened when he saw Charlie's friend, the Scotsman, running towards the comms room. Mikhail could already picture the two of them colliding in the doorway and falling down like the clowns they were. They wouldn't even have time to stand up again before the ocean came pouring in over their heads.

But Charlie did not flee the room. He locked the door to protect his friend from the impending flood. Mikhail laughed. He couldn't believe this. Charlie was _letting_ him kill him! This was too easy! Mikhail's laughter was cut short. Indeed, this _was_ too easy. Too easy take satisfaction from the kill. Mikhail had wanted to see Charlie squirm. He had wanted revenge on that cursed Scotsman who had harpooned him through the chest, preventing him from inflicting a slow torturous death on Charlie when he had him bound to a chair. That was an opportunity he was grieved to have lost.

Charlie turned to look him in face. To his disappointment, Mikhail saw that Charlie didn't look shocked or frightened or miserable. He looked prepared, undaunted and strangely determined. It was almost as though he was achieving some private victory by drowning in this room. Mikhail resented him for it considering that he had been robbed of his own sense of victory. He could kill Charlie, but for some maddening reason it felt like he wouldn't be beating him.

It wasn't until Mikhail triggered the grenade that it really occurred to him that the explosion would kill _him_ along with Charlie. He had been so caught up in taunting his victim that he hadn't allowed himself a moment to prepare for his own annihilation. Now there was no time.

Mikhail watched as his hand was blown apart by the bomb, his fingers shooting through the water in tiny torpedoes of blood and bone. As the force of the explosion drove him into oblivion, Mikhail only had the chance to form one last coherent thought in his mind. Ironically it was the same thought that had gone through Ethan's mind when he met his end.

The thought was this...

_I can't believe that little junkie has been the death of me! _

THE END


End file.
